Tommorow's End
by Mothface
Summary: In which Skullduggery Pleasant confronts his feelings about a certain young mage.  On-going if successful.
1. Chapter 1

Clouds gripped at the moon- clawing and dragging in an all out battle of supremacy. The dull light was conquered for a few minutes but then rallied, beating back it's attacker. Valkyrie watched this with only a passive interest. From her perch at the end of the tiny pier- her vantage point was exceptional. Whatever light was to be had, refracted off the ocean water in glimmering waves. The air was thick with ocean spray and coated her skin with a salty film. Reeds and sea grasses that whispered in the light breeze were almost drowned out by the constant ebb and flow of the sea. All of this was just marginally absorbed by Valkyrie's consciousness. Truth be told- her mind was somewhere else. Much farther than the shores of Dublin. She hardly even noticed the figure a good few meters back. Which was okay, really, as he hadn't done anything noticeable.

Skullduggery Pleasant leaned against his gleaming 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental. True, the car had seen better days- but to the naked and untrained eye it looked as fresh off the lot as the day it was made. It was fragile- having been put back together so many times before. But not fragile enough to prevent its owner from a casual lean. The Skeleton detective was pensive also. You wouldn't be able to tell it looking at his face, as it was all ivory teeth and bone. A permanent grin, non-existent nose and hollow eye sockets were all to be had in terms of facial features. But perhaps you'd be able to tell in the way his shoulders were angled or the stillness in his vacant gaze. His gaze, of course, was aimed at Valkyrie Cain.

Valkyrie Cain the Dangerous.

Stephanie Edgely the 'Ordinary'.

Darquesse the Deadly.

A great partner, sister, friend and also perhaps the ender of worlds; she was all of these and more.

Valkyrie was even beautiful. Flawless pale skin, shiny dark hair, and sharp eyes that seemed to cut straight to Skullduggery's heart- had he one. He could still feel the sensations anyway.

It was as if she could see every thought, every emotion, wish, desire, fear and dream down to his very core. She'd saved him once, twice, a few times; had even his medical exhibit of a body back together on at least two separate occasions. Never had he laughed like he laughed with his partner. Never had he been so afraid for someone either.

Not even his late wife.

Not even his first-born.

Skullduggery felt guilty. Surely he loved them- or at least remembered doing so. Things were fuzzy and he was a different person now. His emotions amplified seemingly to compensate for the lack of flesh. Rage burned hotter than any inferno. Loneliness ached in his chest colder than any Tundra. Emotions overshadowed memories of his past life- making them no more than wisps of ash blowing in the unforgiving winds of Skullduggery's subconscious. Love on the other hand...

Love was something he'd quite forgotten for at least two centuries.

There wasn't the time or the space to let it in. Besides, who would fit the bill? Ghastly? China Sorrows? Not in a million years. Love became a useless thing- trivial. Like knowing your times tables or naming the constellations. Useless. Rubbish. But now, now the Skeleton Detective wasn't so sure. Every time his partner looked at him- his chest would tighten. She knew his past, his biggest secret. Just sitting in the car with her talking makes his day worth having. If anyone could bring a real smile to his stagnant face- it would be Valkyrie Cain, the one who understands him. Every other emotion, tundra or inferno, paled in comparison to the way he felt about her. Skullduggery turned- and in a swift movement pulled open the passengers side door. Leather clad hands flicked open the glove box to reveal a single red rose. It was cliché, he knew, but Skullduggery was old fashioned.

"Hey, does this mean you're letting me drive?"

Skullduggery quickly shut the small compartment. Hoping to whatever gods were out there- Valkyrie didn't see the rose.

"Skul?"

"Jesus- you shouldn't sneak up on me like that, it's bad for my health."

"Oh har-har. Very funny."

"No really, I think I'm dying. I can't breathe. There's a white light coming closer and closer..." "Skullduggery, that's just an oncoming car."

"Oh right, so it is."

Valkyrie sighed in exasperation. Sometimes he could be so silly. You wouldn't know by hearing the conversation she was speaking with a centuries old mage and the infamous Skeleton detective himself.

"You didn't answer my question," she said.

"Which one?"

"The one about driving the Bentley."

"Oh. Well not exactly, no. I still remember the last time, when we almost crashed into that tree."

"Well it was the trees fault, wasn't it? Standing there like it owns the place. It was in my way."

"The tree was three meters away from the road. Not bothering anyone. No, Valkyrie."

"Fine then, I'll sit in the passengers seat. Maybe I'll take a peak at what you're hiding in the glove-box." she smiled coyly.

"On second thought. You could use the practice."

"Yeah- thought so."

Clever. Sometimes annoyingly so. Oh, Valkyrie Cain. Skullduggery had truly fallen hard. It'd be a cold day in hell before he'd let anyone else drive his car. Maybe a valet once in a century- but never like this. He watched as she put on her seatbelt and adjusted the side mirror.

"Oi, lovely!" a car had pulled up beside the Bentley. "What's a tender little morsel like you doing out an about at this hour?"

Luckily enough Skullduggery's face was hidden by shadow. Tapping his collarbones at this point would only draw attention to himself. Hopefully this drunken ginger man would pull away before more action was required. Valkyrie remained silent peering into the rearview and fixing her hair.

"Oi, yeh heard me? How's about you and me hit up Kilerney's? Sweet spot for a pint..."

The orange man was slurring his speech. His head wobbled over the dash- apparently, this man decided was a good time to leave the car.

"Or we can forgo the pint and just go straight for the sweet spot." The man walked up to her window and leered at her- but caught sight of something shifting in the passengers seat. Skullduggery had a hard time staying still.

"Is that, is that a-a skele-" he wasn't able to finish the sentence. At that moment Valkyrie was done assessing her reflection and presently punched him in his grubby lecherous face. Globs of blood and spittle flew from the offender's mouth. Ginger-man ate quite a few teeth. At least the windows were down. Valkyrie smirked.

"Fucking freak!" he tried to focus his gaze back in the car, but too late. Valkyrie Cain was already zooming off ahead. Whatever obscenities uttered by the drunkard was lost in the roar of the Bentley ahead. Skulduggery was again so lost in his thoughts- he neglected to comment on Val's speeding. They soared over hilly country roads. Low fog hugged the countryside.

The man was an ass. Gloriously simple. Dumb as the day is long. Subtle as a beluga whale on a tricycle. Moronic to an extreme. The detective was glad for once he didn't have nostrils- as that man must have reeked something awful. But, he did have something he did not. Flesh. And it got Skullduggery thinking. True- he was devilishly handsome for a skeleton and dressed to the nines. Suave as they come, and quite a catch if he did say so himself- which was quite often. Yet...

He'd let his feelings get the better of him. He was as much a fool as the drunkard. Sure, he considered the fact he was a walking bag of bones. He also considered that of all people, Valkyrie was the least bothered by looks. She got along fine with Fletcher and his ridiculous hair. With Caelan, She did mention the age thing bothering her a smidge. It wasn't enough to stop her from sucking his vampiric face. But really, these were small petty comforts. The Skeleton Detective was once again hiding from the truth of the matter. He was old. He was dead. He was also woefully stupid. To expect his apprentice to even consider necrophilia was naive and obtuse, not to mention perverted.

"You're quiet tonight." Valkyrie interrupted his contemplations, but a welcome interruption to be sure.

"I was just enjoying the sound of you not talking. " That earned him a lighthearted punch in the humorous.

"Want to tell me what's going on?"

"What, besides your terrible driving? That earned him another.

"You know I don't need to see your facade to know there's something up"

"I'll tell you later. You have my word."

"Yeah-sure. Tomorrow then?"

"Maybe."

"Tomorrow, Skullduggery."

"Fine."

Valkyrie turned onto her street. It was quiet and the picture if suburbia. She parked the Bentley a block away from her parent's house.

"So." she said.

"So."

"So I guess this is goodnight." Her eyes were glued to the glove box.

"Well, goodnight then." Skullduggery's hand protected the compartment from Val's possessive gaze. But relented with-" Tomorrow, I promise."

"'Kay."

With that she bounded up the street lithe as a jungle cat. Skullduggery watched after her and sighed. In the glove compartment the rose lay untouched.

"Tomorrow…"


	2. Chapter 2

Valkyrie Cain woke with a start.

Nightmares again.

But she couldn't remember this one. It danced away before her conscious self could grab hold.

Faceless Ones? No...

Jittergirls? No, that wasn't right.

Scapegrace? Ha. Laughable.

There was a feeling of loss...

Valkyrie licked her lips and tasted saline; her cheeks were taut with dried tears. She hated forgetting these things. It was as if she cried for nothing. A weakness without justification was unacceptable. What would Skullduggery say? He'd probably-

"Tonight's forecast calls for rain ladies and gents, and lots of it. Bring out your Wellies and batten down the hatches we're in for a-"

Valkyrie hit her alarm clock-silencing the static-y saccharine pseudo-happy voice.

"Ughhhhhhhh."

She was not a morning person. Sunlight filtered through the window across her room. Funny, the news-caster said rain. But Valkyrie shrugged and kicked her sheets off her bed. Motes of dust shimmered in the air, caught by the morning sun. Perhaps she should clean more. And by "she", she meant her reflection. Valkyrie had more pressing matters to attend to-and besides, Reflection-Valkyrie didn't really mind. How could she?

The real Valkyrie walked into bathroom. It wasn't as filthy as she expected. Still, some disinfectant could be of some use. She caught herself in the mirror. Dark eyes stared back at her. She resolved her hair was a mess and poked at the dark circles lining her eyes. What boys saw in her, she didn't know. Then her mind fell to Skullduggery.

Valkyrie knew she could go out like this with him. No make-up, no sleep, not even combed hair and he wouldn't bat an eyelid (figuratively speaking.) True, he'd poke fun- but realistically she knew he didn't give a damn what she looked like. That made her melancholy to some degree. It shouldn't, but it did. Valkyrie wanted Skullduggery to notice her. She couldn't admit why. Her fingers pried open her vanity cabinet reaching for the toothbrush and paste inside.

While she was on the subject...Skull was acting weird last night, at least weirder than usual. If a skeleton could avoid eye contact, he was certainly doing it. Sometimes car rides were quiet, but it was normally a companionable silence. It was only awkward when she did something wrong...or when he did.

"The glove-box!"

Valkyrie spat toothpaste foam all over the sink.

How could she forget?

She'd bet his mood had something to do with it. And he didn't want to tell her. He didn't trust his partner, not enough anyway. The thought was enough to make her cringe. She wasn't a child and Skullduggery never treated her like one. So it wasn't a matter of the sum of her years.

No.

Her integrity was in question.

Valkyrie reeled back. Calm down. Jumping to conclusions never helped a situation. She was a detective after all- maybe she should act like one. Besides, Skull had said he'd show her today. With one last glance at the mirror Valkyrie exited the bathroom to put some clothes on.

The fake her was already down stairs having breakfast with the family. Before, she was stricken with envy for the other her, but not anymore. No, Valkyrie made her choice- and she wouldn't change it for the world.

She picked a midnight black suit from a hanger in her closet. Another Ghastly creation: Stain-proof, wrinkle-proof, flame retardant, and bullet proof. The works. She was pulling her trousers on when she hear a tap at the window. A small startled sound escaped her throat before she could suppress it. Valkyrie's face flushed red. Apparently Skullduggery just heard her squeak like a startled bird. At least the curtains were closed.

Straightening her lapels, Valkyrie strode over to the window. Not that she didn't appreciate the visit, but Skull was supposed to pick her up two hours from now. Being this early was unlike him and it probably meant trouble. She parted the curtains and there stood Tanith Low, peering in from the side of the house as if gravity was something for common idiots.

Tanith Low.

Shit.

But before Valkyrie could react further, she felt something cold touch her neck. "Nice try lil' darlin', but you ain't going no-where." Billy-Ray Sanguine's razor lightly bit into the skin below her jaw.

Tanith kicked through the window.

"Hello Val."

But before Valkyrie could respond, Tanith pressed a cloth against her face. The sickly sweetness dragged Valkyrie down...down

And Down.

A/N: My apologies for the late update. I am an animation major- and finals were torture. Also break gave me less time than you would imagine. Not to mention- a good portion of my writing time has been given to the "Un Monstre a Paris" fandom.

This chapter is pretty short- but I shall make up for it.


End file.
